A Spectacular Qinqiang Show Opened – the Largest Since the Founding of New China

A spectacular Qinqiang show - the largest scale since the founding of new China in 1949

Sheng Yijun, the Deputy Director-general of the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture, Shaanxi Province, delivered a speech and announced the start of the performance.

To welcome the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a joint performance of excellent Qinqiang operas organized by Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture along with other eight provincial departments and municipal bureaus of culture opened on Oct 8 in Xi'an.

The performance is the first collective display for Qinqiang opera and other Bangzi operas over the last half of the century, the largest joint show of Qinqiang since the founding of new China and the first time for Guangdong’s Xiqin opera – which stemmed from Qin area – returning to its homeland since 400 years ago. It is even a grand reunion for all operas from Qin area, where 22 troupes, 24 plays, and 2,000 professional actors and actresses involved throughout China. The show would last from Oct. 08 to Nov. 08, to provide a tremendous opera feast for numerous fans in Xi’an.

It is said that Qinqiang, a local opera as one of the four tunes of Chinese operas, was generated in Shaanxi, and thriving in Ming Dynasty, and prevailing in Qing Dynasty. With special style and distinct features, Qinqiang creates a unique tune system that supports many other operas. Particularly, as a representative for Bangzi operas, it has a profound influence on other Bangzi operas. In recent years, with a goal of inheritance and development, Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture, based on the efforts of rescue and protection, has been vigorously promoting the stride and communication of Qinqiang and other Bangzi operas by means of generalization and dissemination – for which the joint performance is an attempt.